Sadegh Sharafkandi
Encyclopedia
Sadegh Sharafkandi was a Kurdish
political activist and the Secretary-General
of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran
(PDKI).
His killing in the 1992 Mykonos restaurant assassinations
and Mykonos Trial in Berlin severely soured relations between Iran and a number of European countries. On September 17, 1992, Iranian-Kurdish insurgent leaders Sadegh Sharafkandi
, Fattah Abdoli, Homayoun Ardalan and their translator Nouri Dehkordi were assassinated at the Mykonos Greek restaurant in Berlin
, Germany
. In the Mykonos trial, the courts found Kazem Darabi, an Iran
ian national who worked as a grocer in Berlin, and Lebanese
Abbas Rhayel, guilty of murder and sentenced them to life in prison. Two other Lebanese, Youssef Amin and Mohamed Atris, were convicted of being accessories to murder. In its 10 April 1997 ruling, the court issued an international arrest warrant for Iranian intelligence minister Hojjat al-Islam Ali Fallahian
after declaring that the assassination had been ordered by him with knowledge of supreme leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
and president Ayatollah Rafsanjani
In a 2004 letter to Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit
, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (the mayor of Tehran
at that time) objected to the commemorative plaque in front of the restaurant, calling it an insult to Iran.
In 1959, he received his degree in chemistry at the Institute of Higher Education in Teheran; from then onwards, up to 1965, he taught chemistry in the Kurdish towns of Ourmieh and Mahabad.
Because of his political activities, he was transferred first to Arak, then to Karaj by the Shah’s regime, before being appointed assistant lecturer in chemistry at the Teachers’ Higher Training College in Teheran.
In 1972, he went to France to study at the University of Paris VI, where he received his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry in 1976. The same year, he went back to Iran to teach at the Teachers’ Higher Training College in Teheran.
After the fall of the Shah’s regime in February 1979, he resigned from his position and joined the reawakening Kurdish movement, which in August became the target of a “Holy War” decreed by Ayatollah Khomeini.
Married and the father of 3 children, aside from Kurdish, he also spoke Persian, Arabic, Turkish and French.
While studying in Paris in 1973, he met Dr. Abdul Rahman GHASSEMLOU, the Secretary-general of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), and joined the Party. Upon his retum to Iran, he became Dr. Ghassemlou’s representative in his country.
In February 1979, after the fall of the Shah’s regime, the PDKI’s activities became legal. Dr. Sharafkandi was elected alternate member of the Central Committee and appointed as the Party’s official in Teheran.
During the summer of 1979, he became a permanent Party cadre and in 1980, during the following Congress, he acceded to the Political Bureau. From then onwards, up to the assassination in July 1989 in Vienna of Dr. Ghassemlou by Iranian emissaries, he was regularly re-elected and put in charge of the Party’s publications. In 1986, he also took office as assistant Secretary-seneral of PDKI.
After Dr. Ghassemlou’s assassination, he temporarily took over the Party’s leadership until December 1991, when he was unanimously elected Secretary-general during the IXth Congress.
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
political activist and the Secretary-General
Secretary-General
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran
Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran
The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan , abbreviated as PDKI, KDPI, PDK-I, is a Kurdish political party in Iranian Kurdistan which seeks the attainment of Kurdish national rights within a democratic federal republic of Iran....
(PDKI).
His killing in the 1992 Mykonos restaurant assassinations
Mykonos restaurant assassinations
In the Mykonos restaurant assassinations , Iranian-Kurdish opposition leaders Sadegh Sharafkandi, Fattah Abdoli, Homayoun Ardalan and their translator Nouri Dehkordi were assassinated at the Mykonos Greek restaurant in Berlin, Germany on 17 September 1992.In the Mykonos trial, the German court...
and Mykonos Trial in Berlin severely soured relations between Iran and a number of European countries. On September 17, 1992, Iranian-Kurdish insurgent leaders Sadegh Sharafkandi
Sadegh Sharafkandi
Sadegh Sharafkandi was a Kurdish political activist and the Secretary-General of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran ....
, Fattah Abdoli, Homayoun Ardalan and their translator Nouri Dehkordi were assassinated at the Mykonos Greek restaurant in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In the Mykonos trial, the courts found Kazem Darabi, an Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian national who worked as a grocer in Berlin, and Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
Abbas Rhayel, guilty of murder and sentenced them to life in prison. Two other Lebanese, Youssef Amin and Mohamed Atris, were convicted of being accessories to murder. In its 10 April 1997 ruling, the court issued an international arrest warrant for Iranian intelligence minister Hojjat al-Islam Ali Fallahian
Ali Fallahian
Hojatoleslam Ali Fallahian, is an Iranian politician and cleric. He has served as a member of the 3rd Assembly of Experts of the IRI and as the Minister of Intelligence of Islamic Republic of Iran in cabinet of President Hashemi Rafsanjani...
after declaring that the assassination had been ordered by him with knowledge of supreme leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...
and president Ayatollah Rafsanjani
In a 2004 letter to Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit
Klaus Wowereit
Klaus Wowereit is a German politician, member of the SPD , and has been the Mayor of Berlin since the 2001 state elections, where his party won a plurality of the votes, 29.7%. He served as President of the Bundesrat in 2001/02. His SPD-led coalition was re-elected in the 2006 elections...
, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (the mayor of Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
at that time) objected to the commemorative plaque in front of the restaurant, calling it an insult to Iran.
Biography
Dr. Sharafkandi was born on January 1, 1938, in the Mahabad of Iranian Kurdistan. He spent two years of his elementary studies in his native village, then his family moved to Mahabad, where he completed his primary and secondary education.In 1959, he received his degree in chemistry at the Institute of Higher Education in Teheran; from then onwards, up to 1965, he taught chemistry in the Kurdish towns of Ourmieh and Mahabad.
Because of his political activities, he was transferred first to Arak, then to Karaj by the Shah’s regime, before being appointed assistant lecturer in chemistry at the Teachers’ Higher Training College in Teheran.
In 1972, he went to France to study at the University of Paris VI, where he received his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry in 1976. The same year, he went back to Iran to teach at the Teachers’ Higher Training College in Teheran.
After the fall of the Shah’s regime in February 1979, he resigned from his position and joined the reawakening Kurdish movement, which in August became the target of a “Holy War” decreed by Ayatollah Khomeini.
Married and the father of 3 children, aside from Kurdish, he also spoke Persian, Arabic, Turkish and French.
While studying in Paris in 1973, he met Dr. Abdul Rahman GHASSEMLOU, the Secretary-general of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), and joined the Party. Upon his retum to Iran, he became Dr. Ghassemlou’s representative in his country.
In February 1979, after the fall of the Shah’s regime, the PDKI’s activities became legal. Dr. Sharafkandi was elected alternate member of the Central Committee and appointed as the Party’s official in Teheran.
During the summer of 1979, he became a permanent Party cadre and in 1980, during the following Congress, he acceded to the Political Bureau. From then onwards, up to the assassination in July 1989 in Vienna of Dr. Ghassemlou by Iranian emissaries, he was regularly re-elected and put in charge of the Party’s publications. In 1986, he also took office as assistant Secretary-seneral of PDKI.
After Dr. Ghassemlou’s assassination, he temporarily took over the Party’s leadership until December 1991, when he was unanimously elected Secretary-general during the IXth Congress.